Ahhh basil. Everyone loves to eat it, but not everyone can grow it. Basil can be a finicky little plant when it is just starting out. It has made more than one gardener scream in frustration. I don't want that for you!

Seeds or Transplants?

Beginners, don't even think about growing basil from seed. If you do, just wait for the frustration to come out after two weeks. You will be SO excited to see the little guys sprout up and then you will wait, and wait, and wait some more them to grow bigger. You will keep waiting. It won't happen. Basil seeds tend to grow a fungus on the soil that stunts their growth. It is due to poor air circulation and not keeping the soil's water level maintained.

Go ahead and head on over to the nursery and pick out 1-2 basil plants in different varieties. Unless you plan on freezing and drying basil, a 6-pack of basil will produce too much.

Tips and Tricks

Basil are heavy nutrient users. So this means two things – grow them in at least a one gallon container (learn more about growing an herb container garden) and feed them every month.

Since basil plants produce edible leaves, they need more nitrogen, making blood meal the perfect soil amendment. Basil also needs a lot of water. It can handle the soil drying out in between waterings, but it really likes to be moist if possible. Basil is also a sun worshipper – give your plant at least 6-8 hours of bright sunlight a day.

Harvesting

You can start to harvest basil as early as 3-4 weeks or once the plant is taller than six inches. Gently pinch all the way down the stem to the union of the next leaf set. You want to remove that stem so that new leaves will grow from that point. Pinch off as much as you need at the time or harvest full stems for freezing and drying. Always remove the flowers the minute that they emerge. If you don't, they will make the leaves turn a bitter taste and make the plant go to seed.

This breakfast pizza is a nice change from your regular breakfast routine. Sausage, spinach and spices ensure that each bite is packed with flavor!

I have a family full of picky eaters, but there is one thing that we can all agree on – we all love pizza (really – who doesn't?). We probably make homemade pizza about every 10 days.

Whenever I make my homemade pizza dough recipe, I always make a double or triple batch and just freeze few extra dough balls. I grabbed one out of the freezer the other night, let it thaw/rise overnight and decided to make a breakfast pizza…and my husband is asking when when I am going to make it again.

The beauty of a breakfast pizza is that, like regular pizza, you can pretty much put anything you want on it….but I wanted something a little more interesting than just throwing scrambled eggs, bacon and cheese on top of a pizza crust!

We make this easy pizza recipe just over once a week!

I always use a pizza stone when I am making pizza to ensure that the entire bottom crust cooks completely and starts to get nice & crispy. I like to start my crust on the bottom rack of the oven to ensure the bottom gets nice and crisp. After five minutes I move the pizza up to the middle rack.

To scramble the eggs, crack them into a bowl and whisk them until frothy. Add them to a pan coated with a little nonstick cooking spray and cook them until just cooked through. I don't add anything to the eggs (except maybe a little salt & pepper), because the added moisture of milk or half and half that people usually add to scrambled eggs can make the pizza crust too wet.

For added flavor, I use a mix of three different kinds of cheddar, but you can use any kind of cheese you want.

When my favorite brand of all-natural breakfast sausage goes on sale, I buy extra to cook up and keep in the freezer for quick meals like this. Cooked sausage thaws very quickly! If you're using raw sausage, just increase the cooking time a little to make sure it's fully cooked.

Using a premade pizza crust makes this even quicker, but of course you can use any crust you want. They even have varieties that are fully cooked. Whatever kind you use, you'll just want to follow the cooking temperature and time given on the package or in your recipe.

This vodka sauce recipe is sure to be a hit with your family! I usually pair it with chicken and penne, but it is equally delicious if you use shrimp!

Oh – if your family likes creamy pasta sauces (and who doesn't?), they are going to love this vodka sauce recipe! Yes – that is right – I am telling you to give something called “vodka sauce” to your children!

The reason I am telling you to give your children something with vodka in it?

I love cooking with wine as well as these mussels are steamed in a wine and garlic broth and are absolutely delicious!

Because the vodka is used to deglaze your pan at one point and most (if not all) of the alcohol is cooked out of the vodka, leaving just the flavor. That being said, if you don't keep vodka in the home, you only need 2 ounces, so you could just buy 2 of those little “airplane bottles” and have enough…I think you are going to love this vodka sauce recipe enough that you might start keeping vodka in the house just for this!

But enough about the vodka – if you don't want to use it, use an equal amount of water or wine to deglaze. The flavor will be slightly different, but it will be just as delicious!

I've been making this vodka sauce recipe for years – it is a tweak of a recipe that I saw Giada Di Laurentis make on her show (back when I had time to watch cooking shows). I have made it so many times, changing it a little each time, but this last time, it turned out better than ever and there were NO leftovers. I finally decided it was time to sit down and write it out!

As always, I actually use about twice the garlic than I list in this recipe – but my family is a family of garlic-lovers. I suggest starting with the amount of garlic that I list – and gradually increasing (or decreasing) the amount to suit the tastes of your family.

Oh – and please, please, PLEASE – for the love of all that is Good and Holy – do NOT use dried basil in this recipe. Fresh basil gives this vodka sauce recipe so much flavor! And before you say “do you know how expensive fresh basil is in the supermarket?” – let me tell you that you could be saving a ton of money by growing your own container herb garden – even in your kitchen (or wherever in your house gets the most sun), even in the winter!

I don't know which is better – the smoky taste of these beef and bacon burgers or the blue cheese sauce that tops them!

Oh – you are going to love these sliders at your next party (or just for dinner any night of the week!). Smoked bacon and beef make for an extra-flavorful burger, while a creamy blue cheese sauce is a nice change from your typical condiments and makes for a more indulgent burger.

This made 9 sliders for me, but it may be different for you based on the size of your buns. You could also make burgers. If you choose to do that, thick burgers do not work well with this recipe, because the bacon in the middle will not get cooked. I suggest making two thinner patties that are wider in diameter and stacking them. Thinner patties should cook in about the same time as in this recipe.

The key to a 50/50 burger is grinding the bacon small enough that it can cook through in a relatively short amount of time. I used a food processor to grind mine, but you can also use a knife. Starting with half-frozen bacon works best if you're chopping it by hand.

These baked sweet potato fries would be perfect to serve as a side dish!

You are going to want to cook these sliders on a lower heat, so the fat in the bacon has time to cook through and render out. So, don't rush it. Keep these on a medium to medium-high heat so the patty gets cooked all the way through. Don’t worry about them being dry. There's plenty of fat to keep them moist.

Since these are half bacon, a lot of grease is going to collect in the pan as they cook. Use a spoon to scoop it out as needed.

Bacon can be very salty, and all brands are different. Also, the blue cheese is a little salty, so I have never needed to add any salt to this recipe. While we are talking about the bacon, do yourself a favor and use good, quality beef and bacon for this. You only need 1/2 pound of each, so spend the few extra dollars and get the good stuff!

These are going to shrink up as they cook, so form your raw patties slightly larger than the bottom of your slider bun. This will ensure they're the perfect size once they're cooked.

In my opinion, one of the best flavor combinations in the world is blue cheese and bacon, so the blue cheese sauce really brings these sliders home! And the extra little kick from the hot sauce is a nice surprise. However, if you don't like blue cheese, barbecue sauce would also be great on these!

Toasting the slider buns is optional, but we like the added texture. To do this this, just lay them open-faced on a baking sheet and broil them for 30-60 seconds or until lightly toasted.

I don't know which is better - the smoky taste of these beef and bacon burgers or the blue cheese sauce that tops them! Serve them at your next party!

Author: Mindi

Ingredients

For the Burgers

½ pound smoked bacon, ground

½ pound lean ground beef

9 mini sliders buns, toasted

For the Blue Cheese Sauce

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup blue cheese crumbles, plus extra for garnish

1 tsp hot sauce (more or less to taste)

1 green onion, finely sliced

Instructions

Mix the bacon and beef until they are thoroughly combined.

Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, form nine small patties.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and arrange the patties in the pan without the sides touching. Using your fingertips, press a small indention in the top of each patty. This will help them stay flat as they cook.

Cook the patties on medium to medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. If it appears to be cooking too hot, turn the heat down a little. ** See my notes below for more on this.

When the patties are done, remove them from the pan and let them rest on a paper towel while you make the blue cheese sauce.

To make the blue cheese sauce, just add the mayonnaise, blue cheese crumbles, hot sauce, and half of the green onion to a small bowl. Stir to combine. I like to use the back of my spoon to break up the blue cheese in the sauce. This helps infuse the blue cheese flavor and breaks up any large chunks. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt, pepper and more hot sauce, if desired. ** See my note below about the salt.

To assemble the sliders, lay a piece of lettuce on the bottom bun, followed by a beef/bacon patty and then a dollop of sauce. If desired, you can garnish with extra blue cheese crumbles and green onions!

Notes

Bacon can be very salty, and all brands are different. Also, the blue cheese is a little salty, so I have never needed to add any salt to this recipe.

With the right recipe, baked donuts are so much better than deep fried ones and these pumpkin cake donuts will quickly become your go-to Fall breakfast!

My children just love when I make them homemade doughnuts. Like most kids their again, they would eat doughnuts for every meal if I were to let them. But I don't, so they can't.

But I am not a total meanie so I do let them have doughnuts some of the time, but I want to know what it is them. That is why I have come up with a bunch of doughnut recipes that my kids love and I can feel better about serving them and this pumpkin cake donuts recipe is the new addition to our lineup at home!

This pumpkin donut recipe uses the same pan that we used with the Chocolate Glazed Baked Donut Recipe. You should be able to find it at AC Moore, Michael's, etc or you can always just grab it on Amazon. The easiest way to fill the cavities of the pan and to not make a mess is to transfer your batter to a gallon-sized zipper bag, cut off a corner of the bag and then “pipe” the batter in to the pan.

As for the cinnamon and sugar on top – that is up to you. I will typically just sprinkle the mixture on top of the donuts (while warm), but if I am feeling extra generous, I will double the amount of cinnamon & sugar topping and actually dip the donuts in the mixture. You can even sprinkle some on top of the batter before baking and then a little more after they are baked.

Meatballs are always a big hit in my house and I am constantly trying to come up with new ways to make them. My absolute favorite recipe is my Healthy Turkey Meatballs, but my husband and boys prefer beef and aren't crazy about my adding oats instead of bread crumbs in that recipe.

Likewise, I never really like using bread crumbs when I am making beef meatballs because I feel like the bread crumbs dry them out too much. I have a few friends who suggested that I try using milk-soaked bread as my “binder” (which is what the oats/bread crumbs do) and the result were these delicious and oh-so-moist meatballs!

These would be great served over some pasta for dinner, with some provolone cheese on a long roll as a sandwich (try them on game day – and if you have a bunch of people over and have a second slow cooker, serve them right alongside my Crockpot Chicken Tacos or even my Crockpot Cheese Steak Recipe!)

Making them is really easy!

You will need:

3 lb Ground Beef

8 slices White Bread

1/3 cup Milk

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1 medium Onion Finely Diced

1 tbsp minced Garlic

1/3 cup Grated Parmesan

2 tsp Oregano

4 tsp Basil

1 Egg

48 oz Spaghetti Sauce (homemade or jar)

First you are going to shred up 8 or 9 slices of white bread (you can also use wheat bread if you like – I even like using potato bread). Place the bread in a bowl and add about 1/3 cup of milk. Toss the milk with the bread and just let that sit there for a few minutes until most of the milk is absorbed.

Drain the excess milk (but don't squeeze any of the milk out of the bread). Give the egg a quick wisk and add it to the bread along with the onion, garlic, oregano basil and parmesan cheese. Stir to combine well.

This is where you are going to get a little messy. Crumble the beef in to the milk/bread mixture and use your hands to work everything together. Form in to 2″ meatballs.

Heat some olive oil in a skillet on high and, in small batches (about 5 at a time) brown the meatballs on all sides.

Transfer the browned meatballs to your slow cooker, add the sauce and cook on High for 4 hours or on Low for 8 hours!

But once Fall hits, it is time to heat those bad boys up and enjoy them warm (especially with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side) and these homemade apple dumplings are so easy to assemble and bake and will fill your home with the most amazing aroma!

Another way to enjoy apples? This crockpot apple butter recipe!

I don't know who came up with the idea of using sodas when it comes to baking, but I love them. We are generally trying to cut down on sodas in our house (much to may family's chagrin), so I just buy a bottle now when I want to make a recipe like this. I am choosing to believe that all the “bad” stuff gets baked out, leaving just the flavor.

Hennyway – these homemade apple dumplings are sure to be a hit in your house. The longest step of the process is waiting for the caramel coating to thicken, but even that takes just a few minutes (if you can, heat it in a non-stick saucepan, as that will make clean-up so much easier!)

I used crescent rolls because they are so much easier and are already cut in to the perfect triangles for this recipe. I have also made them in the past using puff pastry. You just need to cut the puff pastry sheets in to triangles yourself. Yeah – I know – #firstworldproblems – right?

Whether you serve them as an appetizer or as a main meal, these sausage stuffed mushrooms are sure to be a hit! Ricotta cheese gives the filling added creaminess

I've mentioned before that I have a sort of Love-Hate relationship with mushrooms. I can stand eating raw mushrooms, but I do like them when they are cooked properly, as does my husband (like with my pork chops with creamy dijon mushroom sauce).

While I much prefer a crab stuffed mushroom, my husband doesn't like fish or shellfish and I wanted something that he would eat – so we went with these sausage stuffed mushrooms!

Stuffed mushrooms seem fancy, but they're one of the easiest appetizers you can make, and the variations are endless! You can add pancetta, olives, and any kind of cheese you like. You could also make them can make them completely vegetarian if you prefer.

For this recipe, we use ricotta for an extra creamy, delicious filling. And the Italian sausage gives these tons of flavor and texture.

All mushrooms are different in size, so you may have a little too much or a little too little filling. I suggest starting with one tablespoon per mushroom as instructed in the recipe, and then going back around and distributing any extra as needed.

Since there are no breadcrumbs in this, they are low-carb and gluten-free. That said, you could sprinkle some seasoned breadcrumbs over them before baking if you wanted an extra crispy top.

We used full-fat Italian sausage which released enough fat to cook the mushrooms stems, onions, and garlic. If you use a low-fat sausage, you may need to add some olive oil.

This homemade milk bath recipe will leave your skin feeling soft and supple, refreshed and invigorated! It's so easy to make and would be a great gift!

One of my favorite ways to relax is to take a nice hot bath. When I was a child, I always wanted bubbles and my children love bubble baths as well. Now that I am older and my skin is getting older along with me, taking a bath isn't just about relaxing, it is about nourishing my skin and invigorating my senses.

We have been making many of our own personal and home care products lately (have you tried my homemade lip balm yet?) and I just love this milk bath recipe and wanted to share it with you!

Milk baths have long been used going all the way back to Cleopatra. It is said that the secret to her beautiful skin was that she took regular baths in milk. These days, we know why. This homemade milk bath recipe will:

Leave your skin feeling soft and supple (thanks to the fat and protein in the milk)

Be a natural exfoliant for the skin. The lactic acid in milk is an alpha hydroxy acid, which will break down the dead skin cells so that they are removed as you bathe.

By adding honey to your milk bath, you get the natural antioxidants and antibacterial properties of honey.

The addition of epsom salt help to relax your muscles and naturally draw out toxins from your skin.

I love all things pumpkin as well as the flavors of Fall. I have a huge arsenal of pumpkin recipes, but aside from my pumpkin Parmesan risotto, I don't have many savory pumpkin recipes and I decided that it was time to change that!

You know that song “Scarborough Fair” by Simon & Garfunkel where they sing about parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme? Well – there were plenty of meanings to that song, but one of them is that the 4 herbs just WORK together and can create something amazing – and that is what I use in this pumpkin alfredo sauce!
A few tips:

Combining the pumpkin puree with the cream is a little tricky because they really don't want to blend and make it easy for you! Because of this, I made the sauce in my 12″ All-Clad non-stick skillet and used a rubber scraper to “smush” the pumpkin on the bottom of the pan and quickly stir it in to the cream. It worked well!

As always, I “toned down” the actual amount of garlic that I used, because my family loves garlic. If you love garlic as well, you might want to increase the amount!

You will want to play with the herbs, based on your personal preference. I originally thought 1 tsp of Thyme would be enough (and it was certainly tasty with just that amount), but adding another 1 tsp of Thyme gave this pumpkin alfredo sauce a much earthier flavor. Start with what I have listed and once the sauce is hot, taste it and add more if you want!

French bread pizzas are the perfect football food and this Cheesy Philly-Style Beef French Bread Pizza is sure to be a hit!

Weekends in the Fall and part of the Winter are all about football in our house. Conveniently, the weather is also getting cooler, so it is the same time that we start eating “heartier” meals and snacks. I mean, nothing against a good carrot stick dipped in hummus….but that isn't exactly “football food”! This dish (as well as my BLT Bruschetta recipe) is certainly “football food”!

I originally was going to call these “Philly Cheesesteak French Bread Pizzas”, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it for one important reason – because I use ground beef for this recipe and as any Philadelphian knows – a true Philly Cheesesteak uses thinly-sliced sirloin.

So – Beef French Pizza it was!

Not only would this Sriracha Beer Cheese Dip go well with this, it would also be delicious if you drizzled some over the beef!

But the ground beef was easier and the flavors are still there…so we compromised and called it “Philly-Style Beef”!

Hennyway….a few notes about this Cheesy Philly-Style Beef French Bread Pizza:

I prefer to use lean ground beef to keep all the flavors in the pan, and it makes it just a little healthier. If you use regular ground beef, I suggest draining it very well before adding the frozen vegetables, so that you don't have as greasy of a pizza. You could also use ground chicken or turkey as well.

Using different types of cheese gives this great flavor, but you could really use any kind you like. I also like to go lighter on the cheese, but feel free to add as much as you want.

To make this quick and easy, I use a frozen pepper blend, but you could certainly use fresh veggies if you prefer. Mushrooms would also be good in this!

I alternate between using a French bread and a Ciabatta bread when I make this. Really – when I am at the bakery counter, it depends on which bread is flatter so that, when the top half is on the baking sheet in the oven, it isn't tilting.

This orange marmalade recipe is made right in your pressure cooker or Instant Pot. It is ready in less than 30 minutes!

So a few weeks ago I made some homemade strawberry jam and I have to admit, I caught the “jam-making bug”. This is what usually happens to me: I don't make any jams or jellies for 2 or 3 years and then all of a sudden I decide to make a batch and then that is all that I want to do for the next month.

These homemade English muffins would be perfect with your orange marmalade!

This orange marmalade recipe was my 2nd batch that I made that weekend…and it is so easy to make!

I've made marmalade in the past. but it was always such a time-intensive task. It usually took about 45 minutes of boiling the oranges to get the peels soft enough. It was about 80 degrees the day I decided to make the marmalade and I was in no mood to stand over a boiling pot and heat up the house.

Enter my pressure cooker.

With my pressure cooker (I have an Instant Pot), I was able to quickly cook the oranges to perfection in just about 10 minutes. Once the oranges were soft, I simply added the sugar and boiled the marmalade until it reached 222F on a candy thermometer.

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeasy (or, I guess Orange Squeasy)!

For perfectly sliced oranges, I used my mandoline slicer. I just sliced up my oranges, stacked the slices and cut them in to quarters. I swear, it only took about 3 minutes to slice my oranges!

Now – about the seeds. Citrus seeds contain the pectin that allow this orange marmalade recipe to set without having to add additional pectin. Many people will tell you to remove the seeds from the oranges and tie them up in a cheesecloth and float them in the marmalade as it cooks. They tell you this because orange seeds, like all citrus seeds, do contain trace amounts of cyanide, even though they are considered edible.

Well, when you are slicing the oranges with a mandoline slicer, you are slicing the seeds as well…and it can be quite a pain in the butt to try to pick out of the slices…so I don't even bother.

As a general rule, when you make marmalade, you use a 1 to 2 ratio for citrus to sugar. So if you have 2 pounds of oranges, you will need 4 lbs of sugar. While I think that is fine for the more sour citrus fruits (like lemon or grapefruit), I tend to cut back on that ratio when I make my orange marmalade recipe….oranges already have so much sweetness in them!

Bottom line? Have the right amount of sugar available, but you might want to start with less sugar and taste it. You can always add it all – you can't take it out once you have added all the sugar!

Just 4 ingredients are needed to make this fabulous pumpkin sugar scrub. This scrub will polish and moisturize your skin – and with a wonderful scent!

It's that time of the year again – when we start adding pumpkin to everything! What started with people just enjoying a pumpkin spice latte “morphed” over the years to the point where they are now making pumpkin Pringles!

But while there are some places where pumpkin spice doesn't belong, this homemade sugar scrub isn't one of them.The delicious smell of pumpkin, vanilla and cinnamon is a great way to wake yourself up during your morning shower.

Taste the flavors of Fall with this creamy pasta dish with butternut squash, sage and bacon. Serve it with some crusty bread and a salad for a complete meal!

So earlier this week, we talked about how to roast butternut squash. It is so abundant and cheap in the Fall that you would be crazy to not take this time to roast up a bunch and freeze it for later!

One delicious way to use that butternut squash is this creamy Butternut Squash Pasta With Bacon and Sage! If you're using leftover squash, this recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes. If not, you can peel and cube a butternut squash, toss with olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and roast for about 15-20 minutes or until tender.
My children aren't big fans of butternut squash (they are picky eaters), so I kept the squash chunks a little on the large size to make it easier for them to pick some of them out (I did make them eat SOME – we are working on it). Since it's only 12-ounces of pasta and a simple sauce, this served four in my house – with a salad and garlic bread.

As far as which pasta to use, I used Barilla's Collezione Casarecce, and I love it because it is thicker and has more of a bite! Really, you can use any “stabby pasta” (penne, rotini, ziti, etc) that you like. If you prefer rice, you can make this recipe exactly as it’s written but add 3 cups of cooked rice in place of the pasta. Stir to combine and add additional cheese, broth and/or half & half to make it extra creamy!

Just a few strips of bacon gives this a delish smoky, savory flavor, which is a perfect compliment to the sweetness of the squash. Make sure that you are using good bacon for this recipe – I prefer using center-cut thick bacon because it usually has more meat and less fat on it

To slice the sage eaves, stack them up on top of each other and cut lengthiwise into long, thin strips.

If I'm being completely honest, I was out of fresh garlic, which is the only reason it's not pictured. If you love garlic like I do, go ahead and chop up a couple of cloves and add it to the onions about a minute before adding the chicken broth. Or just sprinkle in some garlic powder, which is what should've done

Taste the flavors of Fall with this creamy pasta dish with butternut squash, sage and bacon. Serve it with some crusty bread and a salad for a complete meal!

Author: Mindi

Ingredients

1.5 cups roasted butternut squash, cubed

12 ounces pasta

4 slices thick, good quality bacon

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup onion, diced

½ cup half & half

1 cup chicken broth

¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

8 sage leaves, cut into thin strips

4 chives, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package, drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until it's just crisp.

Drain off the bacon grease and return the bacon to the pan.

Add the olive oil and onion to the pan and cook over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes or until the onions are soft.

Add the chicken broth, salt, pepper, thyme and sage and bring to a simmer.

Turn the heat down to low and add the half & half, chives and ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese. Stir again to combine.

Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to your liking.

Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and gently toss to combine so you don't break the squash up too much. As you're tossing the pasta, add the remaining Parmesan cheese a little at a time until it's all incorporated.

This pumpkin spice cake with a cream cheese frosting is sure to be a hit! A slightly dense cake is lightened up with a delicious cream cheese frosting.

Oh – if you are a fan of pumpkin, you are just going to love this pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting. We are huge pumpkin fanatics in this house and my default recipe to satisfy my family's pumpkin cravings is my easy pumpkin muffin recipe, but this is absolutely their new favorite.

A slightly dense cake is lightened up with a creamy and delicious cream cheese frosting. Even though my family generally doesn't like cream cheese, but by mixing in some butter (NOT margarine), the taste of the cream cheese is somewhat “diluted”.

Have a thing for all things pumpkin? Then you are going to want to try my pumpkin truffles!

One thing I love about this recipe is that it freezes just beautifully. If you make the recipe exactly, you will end up with quite a bit of pumpkin spice cake, and you can easily freeze any leftovers (yes – even after frosting it). To do this, simply cut any leftover cake in to squares and place them on a cookie sheet that has been lined with wax paper or parchment paper. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer and freeze until firm. After that, all you need to do it wrap each piece of cake individually in plastic wrap!

Although the original recipe calls for making these in a Big Sheet jelly roll pan, I wanted a slightly thicker cake, so I used my largest Pyrex baking dish. To ensure even baking (and to make clean-up about 10 times easier), I lined the pan with aluminum foil (and sprayed the foil with non-stick baking spray) and added about 10 minutes to the baking time.

Even with the extra baking time, it still came out completely moist – just keep an eye on it for the last 10 minutes of baking. When an inserted knife comes out completely clean – it's ready!

Make sure that you let the cake cool completely in the pan before removing it and frosting it. If you used foil to line your pan, you should just be able to slide the cake out and let it sit for a few minutes before frosting it.

Seriously – you are just going to love this pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting – would love to hear how it turns out for you!

A creamy dijon and mushroom sauce make this my absolute favorite pork chops recipe! Simple to make and you can even substitute chicken for the pork!

I never used to like mushrooms and would refuse to eat them. I liked the flavor of mushrooms but never the texture, especially raw mushrooms (in case you never noticed, there are only a few recipes on this site that include mushrooms).

Over the years, I have “trained” my brain to enjoy cooked mushrooms (and I even make my own homemade cream of mushroom soup recipe) and I am so glad that I did….because this pork chops recipe wouldn't be nearly as good without the mushrooms!

We eat this with rice, but it would also be delicious over orzo, mashed potatoes or even egg noodles. I have also substituted in boneless skinless chicken breasts a few times and it turned out fabulous!.

Another family favorite is this Fettuccine with Italian Chicken Sausage!

This has a mild Dijon flavor because I like mustard a whole lot more than my husband does, but you can add more to suit your taste (If I was making it just for myself, I would probably double the amount of mustard!).

If you don't want to go through the work of cutting your own pork chops from a pork loin, you can always go ahead and use pork chops from the meat section of your supermarket. Just make sure that they are the thin-cut ones (about 1/2″ thick) or you will need to adjust the cooking times. I used a small pork loin, trimmed of all visible fat and silver skin, which made 8 1/2″ chops. If yours makes a coupe of chops more or less, you can leave the recipe as-is. If it makes several more, you'll want to add more broth and half-and-half, so you have enough sauce.

Pork loin can be dry when it's overcooked, so you either have to cook it until it's just done or let it cook long enough to get tender. Be sure to allow this to simmer for the full 30 minutes, so the pork isn't dry.

Once you've added the half-and-half, be sure to not the sauce boil or it can separate.

When we have leftovers, I shred up the pork into the sauce and add sour cream. Then I mix the whole thing with cooked egg noodles for a something that resembles a stroganoff

These homemade apple cider donuts are so easy to make and absolutely delicious. Serve them while still warm for the best results!

Apple Cider Donuts Recipe

One thing that I love about Fall is visiting the apple orchard or the pumpkin patch with my children. They are starting to think that they are too old for it these days, but we have always loved going on a hayride, the corn mazes and even to the pumpkin patch to pick our own pumpkins.

Every time we go, we always end our trip the same way….with a steaming cup of hot apple cider or hot chocolate and some apple cider donuts. It's usually fairly chilly when we make this family outing, so this is the perfect way to warm up before getting in the car and heading home.

I know that for many people, an apple cider donut has more of a cake texture as opposed to the yeast donut in this recipe, but I have actually purchased them made both ways and I much prefer the lighter texture of the “yeast donut” version of an apple cider donuts recipe. With this recipe, you have all of the flavor of the traditional version, but none of the “heaviness” of the old-fashioned recipe (then again, I have never been a fan of the “cake donuts”, so I may be a little biased!

These are going to taste best if you serve them fairly quickly after you make them. You do need to let them cool for a few minutes before you put the glaze on them, but I would plan to serve them within a few minutes of glazing them. They won't taste “bad” if you wait an hour or two to serve them, but they won't taste as good!

This quiche recipe can be whipped up very quickly and is full of flavor! They're quick and easy (and gluten-free), and the variations are endless!

When it comes to breakfast, I like simple, quick and easy recipes! My husband likes breakfasts that he can just grab-and-go (that's one of the reasons I keep our freezer stocked with my freezer breakfast sandwiches) and we both like eggs!

Well – this mini quiche recipe fulfills all of our wants and even has some ham and arugula added in for some extra protein and greens!

But really, the variations are endless!

If you want another unique egg recipe, try my Eggs Italiano!

I know that when people think of quiche, they think that they HAVE to have a crust. I have always preferred a crustless quiche or, if there is going to be a type of crust, it better be unique (like my mini omelette breakfast bites). I've always thought of the crust as my least-favorite part of any quiche (or pie), so I just don't use one!

Arugula has a slightly peppery taste that I love (and provides plenty of flavor to this recipe). If you don't have (or don't like) arugula, any kind of green will do. Kale or spinach would be perfect substitutions. And if you don't have ham, cooked sausage or bacon would work.

I prefer Monterey Jack cheese because it melts so well and isn't as strong as cheddar cheese, but you could use any kind of cheese you want. My husband prefers when I use mozzarella cheese, but sometimes I think that he thinks that is the only cheese at the stores!

Your muffins tins will only be about half full after adding the egg, and that's the way that it should be! These will puff up as they bake and then deflate when they come out of the oven. If you fill them too much to start, they'll overflow in the oven.

If you didn't want to do muffin-size quiches, you could make these in small individual-sized baking dishes. Just adjust the cooking time as needed.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Klement’s Sausage. All opinions are 100% mine.

Whether you need a meal for the grill, campfire or oven, this foil packet Italian Sausage with Potatoes & Veggies is packed with flavor and so easy to make!

Growing up, my parents loved to take us camping, and “foil packet dinners” were always a “thing” with us. They are easy to make, can be thrown right on the grill or a rack over a campfire, and cleanup is a breeze!

As I got older and started my own family, I no longer was “big” on camping, but my daughter loves to do it and will go on camping trips with her friends and their family. After her last trip, she told me that they had cooked dinner one night using the “foil packet” method and it brought back some nice memories.

So when Klement’s Sausage asked me create a recipe using one of their sausages as part of their #WhatsCookingWednesday campaign, I decided to pull out the foil and make a recipe that I had loved as a child!

Klement's sent me 2 kinds of sausage to try and, because I had never tried their products before, I wanted to do a little research. Their sausages are made in small batches, using premium cuts of beef & pork. They are gluten-free and they never use MSG. They naturally smoke their products in real smokehouses.

But what really matters is the taste, right?

We enjoyed their Cheddar Summer Sausage, with just some crackers and mustard (although my one son put barbecue sauce on it because he puts it on EVERYTHING) and everyone loved it. There was a generous amount of cheese inside the sausage and the taste was amazing!

But for the Italian Sausage? I decided to get a little more creative.

My mom used to just make a combo of Polish sausage, green beans and potatoes, but I was working with Italian Sausage and a vegetable garden that is out of control. I went outside and picked a zucchini, some green beans and the last of my orange peppers (sniff). I added in some baby red potatoes, an onion and some oil & spices and my Foil Packet Italian Sausage with Potatoes & Veggies was born!

By the way – I made up five foil packets for our family and poured the rest of the mixture in a baking dish and cooked it that way. The foil packets took much less time for the potatoes to be fully cooked and created it's own sauce. The mixture in the baking dish was just as flavorful.

Tip: I used Italian Seasoning for 3 of the 5 packets, but I also had a bottle of Cuban Seasoning that I had been wanting to try. I used the Cuban Seasoning for 2 of the packets and I really think I liked the Cuban Seasoning better, but it definitely had more of a “kick” to it. Experiment with your favorite seasonings!

Place all remaining ingredients (except parsley) in the bowl and stir until all the meat and vegetables are coated (add more oil & spices if you need to, but be careful not to add too much oil or else it will "boil" the meat & veggies in the foil packets)

Place 2 12" squares of aluminum foil on top of each other and place ⅙ of the mixture in the center of the foil.

Bring 2 opposite sides of the foil up and fold over, creating a seal. Fold the other 2 sides up to the top

If Cooking in an Oven:

Bake at 400F for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender

If Cooking on a Grill or Campfire:

Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender

If Cooking in a Baking Dish:

Use a big enough baking dish (or 2) that you have a shallow layer. Cover with foil and bake at 400F for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender